Automatic oil cup



E. L. DES JARDINS.

AUTOMATIC 0IL CUP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.3. 1919.

Patented Jan. 24,1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND L. DES JARDINS, OF CEICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' AUTOMATIC OIL GUI.

' Speciflcation of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 24, 1922 Application flled November 3, 1919. Serial No. 335,334.

though not restricted to such use, is particularly adapted for automobiles.

Oil cups as constructed heretofore, have not been easy to regulate for the reason that they either give a continuous stream of oil, or else no oil at all. Further, with the previous forms of. oil cups, .it was necessary to shut off the flow of oil as soon as the auto mobile was parked or placed in the garage in order to prevent flooding the parts with oil and the nuisance and waste consequent thereto.

VWhen semisolid greases are employed, the grease cups prov1ded for their use re- 'quire constant attention, since the plunger therein must be screwed down periodically to feedthe grease into the bearing or other part to be lubricated. The driver of an automobile frequently omits to adjust his grease cups at the right intervals with the ',result that the parts are not properly lubricated.

It is an object; theief0, of the present invention, to. provide an improved means for insuring a steady flow of oil While the car is in operation.

It is also an obj ect of the invention to pro vide an oil cup which Will only feedwhile the car is in operation.

A further object of the invention is to "provide improved means for controlling the fiow of oil to surfaces requiring lubrication. Other and f1irther important objects of this invention will be apparent from the dis- -closures in the drawings and specification..

-The invention (ma preferred form) 1S illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter Drawzngs.

Figure 1 is a vertical central section throgh an oil cup embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a central vertical section through a urther form of construction.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of one part of a further form of construction.

V Description.

Referring to the form of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, the oil cup comprises a reservoir 1 with a conical cap 2 secured thereto in any .suitable way. Attached to thelower end of the reservoir is a bushing 3 adapted to be connected to the part to be lubricated and having engaged therein the end of a tube 4 leadingupwardly above the surface of the contents. Said fitting 3 is fianged outwardly at its upper end and'shapec to aflord a nut for application of a wrench thereto in applying the oil cup to a part to be lubricatod. Centrally arranged within the reservoir 1 is a tube 4 threaded into the aperture of the bushing'3 This tube is arranged to extend above the level of the oil in the reservoir so that oil cannot flow directly thereinto. As the car.ruhs along the road, the oil in the resrvoir is splashed about, and a part thereof strikes the conical inner face of the cap 2 and is deflected thereby into the upper open end of the tube 4. The flow of oil down the tube 4, resulting from this splashing action, iscontrolled by means of a wick 5. By constructing thisWick of proper material and of suitable density and closeness of weave, the tube 4 may be arranged t0 de- ]iver a constant quantity of oil. The upper end of the tube 4 is fiared outwardly t0 provide. a small catch basin and rese1voir above the wick. An aperture 6, normally closed by a pivotally mounted closure 7, is provided for filling the reservoir with oil and is below the upper end of the feed tube preventing the threaded lower portion to permit insertion and removal of the tube thr0ugh the fittino* 3 for inspection or replacement of the w1ck when desired. 7 v

In the construction shown in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive the oilis fed, not only as a result ofthe upward splashing of the-oil in the reservoir into*a tube containing a wick, but also by 'capillary action, since the upper end of the wick 1s arranged to clip into the body of oil in the reservoir. In this orm of construction a glass reservoir 8 is provided,,having a bottom 10 and a lid 11 con nected to the body portion in any suitable way. Surrounding the glass rescrvoir 8 is a shell 8 of brass or other material l1 aving view apertures or slots 8 therethrough.

The ends of the shell 8 have threaded enpressed upwardly as the result of the en-t gagement of the extensions 23 of the plug wvith the Strip 24. This movement presses the plug firmlv against thenppr wall 01 by "the wick.

gagement with the top and bottom members 10 and 11 and the ends of the glass tube or reservoir are bevelled and seat against gas-' r kets or washers 8. The bevelled edges g1ve a large bearing surface affording a tight sealirig connection. Centially arranged and iritegral with the bottom 10 is an extension priming fitting connection 12 adapted to be threaded into a bearing or the like. Threaded into the upper part of the fittirig12 is the lovver end of a pipe 13 extending upwardly through the oil in the reservoir to a point higher than the level of the oil therein. Se-

' cured to the upper end of the pipe 13 is a disk 14 having an aperture 15 for the passage ofthe upper end of the wick*30 tberethrough. Tongues 16 are stamped clown- Wardly from the material of this diskl to hold the end of the wick clownwai*dly in substantiailv vertical "position as shown in Figure 3. With this arrangement, a part of the oil, after beingspla'shed up and around the disk 14, flows into the flared upper end of the tube 13 and is absorbed Any oil splashed upwardly onto the top surface of thdisk 14 is led into the tube 13 by the grooves 14 provided in the t0 Surface of the disk.'

. For a mitting oil intothe device, an upward semicylindrical extension 20 oi' the cover 11 is'provided having an aperture 22 therein for the spout of an oil can or funnel. Normally, this aperture 22 is closed by a hollow plug 21 slidable within the part 20. This plug 21 is provided with lateral extensions 23 turned inwardly at their ends, as

at 26. Slots are formed in the end portions 26f or the passage of a strip 24 of relatively the part 20 and securely seals the aperture 22. Normally, the plug is held in place by means of a spring 29 Which is passed around the "strp so that at one end it bears against Access to the interior of the lubricator io'r manipulation et the Wick may be had Without requiring disassembly of the parts, by pulling the plunger 21 outwardly andinserting a wire, hook or small tool inwardly into the reservoir. The wickrmay be removed and replaced by -one such as shown in Figure 7 if desired by such an operation, and the oil cup may thus be converted from a continuous feed clevice to an automatic, and vice versa. w

n thecofrstructioh shown in Figure 7 the wick is not 'arranged to dip'down into the oil, so that the feeding of theoil is solely dependent upon thesplashing -.of the oil up and around the disc 31, but the wick acts.as

' a reservor. 7

In the case 01 Stationary engines, means anay be provided for in1parting suflicient vibrationrfrom the engine to the oil cup t0 produce the desired splashing action.

In all cases, except where the WZlCk clips into the'oil reservoir, as in Figure 3, the flow ofoil ceases as soon as the vibration of the oil cup, either from the engine orrfrom the movements or the automobile.

I am aware that numerous detail of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the ,principles of this invention; and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

1. An oil feed eup comprising a Ieservoir, atube extending :upwardlv through the reservor terminating above the level of the oil in the resrvoir and a wick in the tube,said

a tube extending upwardlthrougb the res ervoir 'to a pointabove thelevel Of the oil therein, oil collecting means at the top of the tube, and a wick in the tube passing through the oil collecting means to contact with the main body of oil in the reservoir. V

8. Anoil reed cup cOmprising a reservoir, a filling cap'on thereservoir{ a plug slidable in the cap, a tube extending upwardly throughthe reservoir to a point.abovetbe level of the oil therein, and a'Wick in the tube, the loWer end ofthe tube being constricted to hold the WCk in position. i

4. An oil feed cup comprising a reservoir, r

a tubeextending upw'ardlv through the reservo1r to a pointabove the levelofthe oil there1n, and a wick arianged wlioll within the tube, said tube having a fiarng upper end to provide an auxiliary 011 reservoir above the wick.

5. An oil feed cup comprising a reservoir, a tube extending upwardly through the reservoir t0 a pointabove the level of the oil theren, a wick arranged wholly within the tube, said tube having a fiaring upper end to provide an auxilary 0il reservor above the wck, and an enlarged threaded 1ower end threaded into an aperture in the bottom of the reserv0ir, sad 1ower end being of greater outside diameter than the fiaring upper end to allow the tube to be withdrawn downwardly threugh said aperture.

6. An 011 feed cup including in combination a reservor, a filling cap thereon, a tube in the reservoir, 011 collectmg means at the top of the tube, a wick in the tube having its end extending out through the 011 collecting means and clown aguin into the oil, and a spring-held plug slidable in the fillng ca).

In testimony whereof I have hereunto su. scrbed my name in the presence of two subsc1ibing witnesses.

EDMUND L. DES JARDINS.

W itnesses LE Roy D. KILE, OSCAR HARTMANN. 

